Pakistan Hindu Council calls for National ‘Banyan Day’ for Interfaith Harmony

Lahore: Patron-in-chief Pakistan Hindu Council and Member National Assembly, Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani has emphasized the need to engage different segments of society regularly in interfaith collaboration, community work, spiritual development and peaceful co-existence, saying that annual celebration of National Interfaith Day on state level could teach people belonging to different religious communities to respect each other.

He was exchanging views during the launching ceremony of the video documentary for parliamentarians, under the title “The Story of a Banyan Tree: 9000 Years of Spiritual Heritage of Pakistan”, organized by Pakistan Hindu Council and Mehergarh, here at Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS), Islamabad.

“The purpose behind the national interfaith day, inclusive of all Pakistanis, is to let people from different backgrounds, faith, values and traditions to understand each other through promoting dialogue and collective community work, as well as to unite people of Pakistan as one nation,” said Dr. Ramesh Vankwani, while emphasizing that Pakistan Hindu Council strongly supports collaboration with other religious, civil rights, human rights and social organizations.

“Holy to the Buddhists and the Hindus, the banyan tree is equally respectable to the Muslims of the region and thus, can be found at almost all the shrines,” said Dr. Ramesh Vankwani, while suggesting that the proposed Interfaith Day could also be named as “Banyan Day”. He concluded.

A number of parliamentarians, representatives from civil society, academia and intellectuals were present to grace the ceremony.